Founded in 1850 in Iserlohn, Brause & Cie originally specialised in the manufacture of needles. In 1895 Brause produced pens for writing, drawing and decorating. The feathers were then produced under the brand name Brause Hahn, In the past the production of these feathers was the prerogative of the English, but Brause was able to appropriate and control the high precision required for mass production of the feathers. Apart from the Bandzug, the Brause brand remains varied. It produces all kinds of feathers: Cito, Pfannen, Index, Steno, Plakat and the famous five-billed feather, which was resumed in 1995. Brause uses cold-rolled steel. This steel is delivered in coils in the desired width for the feathers. It is then stamped by a tool specific to each model and each pen size. The logo is marked during this step. Feathers, still in flattened form, are cut from a stamping tool. These "flat" feathers pass through an oven at a certain temperature to soften the steel.

Once softened, the steel is more malleable and the "flat" feathers are manually picked up in a bending tool one by one. After giving the feathers their concave shape, the steel is tempered, this operation ensures the maintenance of the curve and a long writing life. The feathers are soaked, then cleaned in a drum, deburred by abrasion and finally dried. Then comes the most delicate operation, which consists in cutting a slit exactly in the middle of the pen that will allow the precise and fluid passage of ink from the reservoir to the writing tip. During this same operation, and depending on the feather patterns, the tip is slightly deformed to give it a spherical shape. This stage of production is still carried out thanks to very meticulous manual work. The feathers are deburred again to obtain a perfect contour. Depending on the models, the feathers will pass through an oven to give them a brown or bluish colour depending on the temperature or will be nickel-plated or even gold plated. All feathers will pass through a varnish bath to protect them 100% from corrosion and give them an exemplary longevity. A systematic and individual control of each feather follows to ensure that each specimen will have this much sought-after quality.

This manual work requires a long experience, a very good eye and a very agile hand to know how to determine the flexibility of the feather. The choice of metal and the regularity of machining give steel its spring, its flexibility. The quality of the artisanal work allows to have feathers of a great finesse. Each feather has its own qualities and can be classified according to two criteria: flexibility and finesse.